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A cashier bags soda at Chavez Supermarket in North Fair Oaks on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012. San Mateo County officials are looking at a soda tax as a possible approach to reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.(Kirstina Sangsahachart/ Daily News)

A campaign to persuade parents to give their toddlers and preschoolers water instead of sugary drinks has been launched by health and children’s groups in Contra Costa County.

Ads in English and Spanish will appear on BART platforms, transit shelters, convenience store windows and in check-cashing facilities in Bay Point, Concord, Pittsburg, Richmond and San Pablo. The goal is to draw attention to the sugar in soda, flavored milk and juice boxes.

The ads depict the sugared drinks as toothy monsters.

Consuming such drinks puts children at higher risk of obesity, tooth decay and Type 2 diabetes, note leaders of the First 5 Contra Costa and Healthy and Active Before 5 collaborative.

The “Sugar Bites” ads, more information and a child-friendly interactive graphic depicting the health hazards of sugared drinks can be found at www.cutsugarydrinks.org.

In 2010, one in three low-income children in Contra Costa County ages 2 to 5 were overweight or obese.

Obese children are more likely to become obese adults, increasing their risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, the groups note.

“The beverage industry spends millions marketing sugary drinks to children, especially Latino and African-American children,” said Rhea Elina Laughlin, community engagement program officer for First 5 Contra Costa. “We think families deserve to know the truth about how harmful these beverages are for their children.”

The American Beverage Association notes that calories from sugar-sweetened beverages make up only 7 percent of the calories in the average American diet. It also points out that beverage manufacturers have been offering more options for schools and the general public, including lower-calorie and smaller-portion choices.

Otto Warmbier was arrested in January 2016 at the end of a brief tourist visit to North Korea. He had been medically evacuated and was being treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center when he died at age 22.